The Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation (NRC), Kayode Opeifa, has taken full responsibility for the derailment of the Abuja-Kaduna train that occurred on Tuesday, August 27, 2025.
Speaking on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, on Wednesdays Opeifa apologised to Nigerians and assured them that the ongoing investigation into the incident would be transparent.
According to him, “Let me say, beyond apologising to Nigeria, I want to say as the managing director and chief executive, I take full responsibility. And in the case of safety, there is no indifference.
“Once it happens, the chief executive must take responsibility. In this case, I am taking responsibility,” Opeifa said.
The Abuja-Kaduna train derailed shortly after departing Abuja at about 11 am, en route to Kaduna.
A passenger on board described the scene as chaotic, with people scrambling to safety.
The NRC, in collaboration with the Nigeria Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) and other relevant agencies, is conducting an investigation into the incident.
He further said four passengers sustained serious injuries, while two others were treated and discharged. Fortunately, there were no fatalities recorded.
The MD also said the injuries of four of the Abuja-Kaduna train passengers were serious.
His words: “Coming to the fatality and the casualties, there was no fatality. We thank God. That was a near miss because for this kind of accident or incident, you see some level of fatality, but we thank God for this.
‘And for those who were injured, four are serious, and another two or so were discharged immediately, and we will follow up on those that might still be in the hospital.
“I don’t know as of this moment, we’ll follow up. So we’ll also follow up with the remaining 618 people on the train because of the post-traumatic experience. We have the full contacts and we’ll do that”, he added.
Opeifa mentioned that the Warri-Itakpe route was shut down three weeks ago for safety reasons, with track sections being replaced to prevent similar incidents.
The NSIB would determine when the site is open for reconstruction, after which the NRC will conduct a safety audit.
Opeifa estimated that services could resume within 30 days after the site is declared open for reconstruction.
Opeifa refrained from commenting on potential sabotage, citing the ongoing investigation.
He, however, assured Nigerians that the tracks were safe from vandals and terrorists, with the military actively monitoring the corridor.
